Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has visited a company that has become a national leader in the supply of wooden pallets to see how its new £2.5million premises will grow the company and create jobs.
RPS Ltd, currently based in Middlesbrough, is set to move to Durham Lane Industrial Estate in Stockton-on-Tees once construction of its new 1,800m2 warehouse and offices facility is complete.
The move to the bigger, custom built, facility will drive turnover and increased involvement in the Tees Valley area.
Over the past five years the company has gone from strength to strength with the number of people employed doubling to 30.
RPS supplies, collects and promotes the reuse of wooden pallets, promoting sustainability and a greener economy. It works with national waste management company Biffa UK Services collecting pallets on their behalf from international retailers and also works for major Tees Valley businesses including Tata Global and Venator.
Its move has been supported by the Tees Valley Mayor and Combined Authority with a £200,000 grant and a further £54,037.40 of European Regional Development Fund grants via Tees Valley Business Compass.
During his visit, the Mayor was given a tour of the site by Managing Director Gary Hudson and Project Manager Terry Murphy. They shared plans for the future of the Eaglescliffe site, including the delivery of a high-performance shredder to make it easier than ever for the company to recycle wood.
Mayor Houchen said: “It’s great to be able to support the investment RPS is putting in to the Tees Valley with their new purpose-built facility in Eaglescliffe. This will only help to boost employment opportunities and growth of industry across the region.
“Who would’ve thought pallets are so complex? In a diverse industry, RPS leads the way to provide environmentally responsible solutions for pallets and contributes to our drive for a clean, modern economy.”
Gary Hudson said: “This visit was a fantastic opportunity to show the Mayor our passion, how much we have invested in the region and the positive impact we are making on Tees Valley’s economy.
“As a key local employer and thriving business, we were delighted to welcome the Mayor and excited to share our plans for expansion. When we moved to Tees Valley from Ripon in 2012, it meant we could become even bigger and better, and this move shows we’re not slowing down.”
